Blood and Quirks
by Lets Do That Again
Summary: Alan (Dragonborn, Listener, Nightingale, Harbinger, Arch-Mage, etc.) hears word of a group of vampire hunters recruiting members for their cause...eh, why not. After all, what's the worst a few vampires can do?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

New Page of a New Story

 **Skyrim is owned by Bethesda.**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" **Daedra/Aedra speech"**

 **Line Break**

Ella took in a deep, silent breath. Her prey was particularly mobile this time around; fond of traversing rocky ground and moving even in the freezing rain, but all creatures had to rest eventually, and this simple beast had finally done so. She peered closer at her potential feast, debating the best way to take it down.

"What are you doing?" a voice whispered teasingly.

Ella flinched, resisting the urge to snarl. "I'm hunting, Jon!"

Jon snorted, turning his gaze to the quarry, "…Doesn't look all that impressive…was it the first one you saw ?" he jeered.

"What of it?" Ella hissed, whipping her head to glare at her (as of now) unwanted companion.

"Everything," Jon chided, "You are not some stray hunter anymore. You're a part of something far greater. And you should only use your skills to hunt the best, most delicious prey, not some scrawny little—and it's gone".

"What!" Ella nearly shrieked. She looked over at the clearing, growling at its emptiness. "You damnable oaf!" She stood up, glaring down at Jon, "You scared it away!"

Jon smirked coolly, standing up to look Ella in the eyes, "Well, you're certainly not helping matters".

Ella sneered, clenching her fists, "Don't test me".

Jon rolled his eyes, "Sure…C'mon, I know a place with far bet-gak!"

Ella stepped back as an arrow pierced Jon's throat—spraying blood on her face—sending electrical shocks through out his body, before he fell on the ground, dead.

Ella pulled the dagger on her hip out of its sheathe, charging up an Ice Spike in her free hand. She heard the _twang_ of a bowstring, and ducked behind a tree, smirking when an arrow sunk into the tree. Quick as a flash, she shot out the spike in the direction the arrow flew from, along with two more within the same area.

" **Grah**!"

Ella's eyes widened immensely, jumping back in fright as a hulking Dremora burst from the brush, cleaving the space she stood with a massive Daedric sword.

" **You will bleed!** " the Dremora roared.

Ella haphazardly shot another ice spike at the monster, before turning around to run full sprint. She only made it a few feet however, before she felt something sharp pierce through her abdomen. A flash of purple light revealed a man in hooded armor, wearing a red facemask, his blade sunk deep into her body.

Weakly, as the light dimmed from her eyes, she recognized him as the one she was hunting just moments before.

 **Line Break**

Alan watched the woman's face go through a variety of emotions after he revealed himself. When she opened her mouth, he quickly brought his free hand over her face, "Shh…" He charged up a lightning spell, letting it flow from his hand to her brain; she spasmed greatly, only stopping when he removed his hand.

After a brief moment, he pushed the woman off of his blade.

" **Bah** ," Alan turned towards the Dremora, " **To deny me the pleasure of killing one of Molag Bal's pets. You are a cruel mortal** ".

Alan chuckled, crouching down to search the woman's corpse for valuables, "Is that a compliment?"

The Dremora snorted.

Alan frowned as he patted the vampire down. "Where have I seen this armor?" he muttered, "Hmm…Ah! Movarth wore a similar piece…Yeesh, these guys must be pretty old then". He then noticed the woman's dagger had a glow to it, "Ooh! Fear enchantment!" he exclaimed.

The Dremora rolled its eyes, ignoring its summoner's excited ramblings. It then heard a cracking sound to its left, and whirled around gripping its blade tightly.

"Stand down," Alan softly stated, moving over to the second corpse.

The Dremora frowned, but shifted out of its stance.

"You can come out now!" Alan called out without looking up from the second corpse.

After a moment, a figure started to push past the brush. Alan looked over his shoulder, frowning at the sight of an Orc in unfamiliar dull brown armor.

The Orc, to his credit, ignored the Daedra standing just a few feet away. He smiled at Alan, "I must say, that was some impressive vampire-killing".

Alan grunted, "Eh, I give it a six out of ten," he smirked as the Orc's brow rose, "There's an arrow sunk in the tree to your left. Speaking of, do you mind?"

The Orc shrugged, pulling the arrow out of the tree, tossing it over to Alan, "The name's Durak".

Alan nodded as he caught the arrow, "Okay".

Durak frowned, "…Aren't you going to give me your name?"

Alan stopped patting the corpse down. He stood up, turning to face Durak. "…Alan".

Durak hummed, "You know Alan, my organization could use someone like you".

Alan slumped slight, holding back a sigh, "Oh? And what army might you be a part of? What hopeless cause are you fighting for?"

Durak shook his head, "We're not some band of mercenaries. We're the Dawnguard, vampire hunters".

Alan straightened, narrowing his eyes curiously, "Come again?"

Durak smiled, "I take it you're interested?"

Alan just turned to the Dremora, "Catch you later," he then charged up an orb of purple energy in his hand, shooting it at the Daedra.

To its credit, the Daedra only groaned lightly as it was forcibly sent back to Oblivion.

Alan turned back to Durak, "Sorry, but if I keep the guy here too long without a fight, he gets antsy".

Durak grunted, "Right. So, back to the matt-!" Durak pulled out his axe as Alan shot orbs of magic at the two corpses, reanimating them.

Alan clicked his tongue as Durak growled lowly, "Relax," he then charged up two orbs in his hands, summoning two transparent wolves, simultaneously turning the corpses into ash, "It's just my way of cleaning up".

Durak blinked, "Oh," he slowly slid his axe back into its sheathe, "That's…smart actually".

"Isn't it?" Alan said as he bent down to pet the ethereal animals.

Durak crossed his arms, "So…"

Alan shrugged, "Sure, I've got nothing going on at the moment. Where are you guy's located?"

Durak smiled, "Just East of Riften," he then turned around, "I do hope you'll join. We'll need all the help we can to deal with the vampire menace".

Alan hummed, "Sure thing".

 **Line Break**

Alan whistled jauntily as he entered the Ragged Flagon, waving as he passed the various merchants that had decided to take up shop after the Guild returned to its former glory.

"Boss," Dirge grunted from his usual spot.

"Dirge," Alan replied in a similar tone of voice. He smirked as the large man grumbled.

He quickly moved forward, nodding his head at Vex and Delvin, "Hey guys".

"Hey Boss," Delvin smirked as he lifted a bottle of mead to his lips, "Have a successful venture?"

Alan smirked (not that anyone could see it beneath his mask), summoning two burlap sacks from a pocket dimension he'd developed years ago. "You tell me," he tossed the sack on Delvin's table.

Delvin sifted through the first sack, smiling widely as the gems and jewelry glimmered in the dim light of the tavern. Vex had a much more sour expression on her face, "…The hell is this?!"

Delvin frowned; leaning over to look in the second sack, scrunched his face, and stared at Alan, "…Sweetrolls?"

Alan shrugged, accepting cup of mead that Vekel handed him, "You said you wanted the equivalent of fifteen hundred Septims in stolen goods," he pulled down his mask, taking a quick swig of the drink, "The Sweetrolls count for half of that".

Vex sighed irritably, "We can't sell this!"

Alan waved a hand, "Nonsense! Tonilia ca—"

"I don't deal in perishable goods," the Redguard calmly stated.

Alan shrugged under Vex's glare, "Okay then…consider it an early bonus!"

Delvin, sensing Vex's temper reach the breaking point, quickly dumped the sellable loot on the table, "Why don't we sort this out, eh love?"

Vex clenched her jaw, but did so regardless.

With a smirk, Alan turned around, leaning against the counter and downing his drink.

Vekel chuckled as he handed Alan another bottle of mead, "You know she's going to kill you one of these days?"

"Please, she knows she loves me," he tilted his head to the side, throwing his hand up to catch a Sweetroll flying where his head was, "Thanks honey!" he said in a falsetto voice, turning around to give the blonde thief a wide smile.

Another Sweetroll slammed into his face. Laughter echoed throughout the Flagon.

Alan smacked his lips, smiling as a rag was placed in his hands, "Thanks Vekel".

"Wrong Nord, lad".

"Ah, Brynjolf!" his smile widened when he removed the rag from his face, seeming a familiar Dunmer, "And Karliah! "Back from a job?"

"Not exactly," Brynjolf pulled off his hood, running a hand through his long, red hair. "…Just got back from an Impromptu meeting with Maven".

Alan grinned, "Oh? And what did our illustrious Jarl have to say to you?"

"Apparently," Karliah began as she sat down next to him, removing her own hood, "Louis Letrush stole her horse, Frost".

Alan snorted, "That nervous-wreck couldn't steal a Septim from a blind beggar, much less a horse from Maven Black-Briar".

"Yes, that's why she thinks he had help".

"Lucky him".

Brynjolf nodded to Vekel, and the man decided to take everyone out on a picnic.

If Alan was nervous when all but two people in the Flagon left, he didn't show it.

"You were just on a job up in Windhelm, weren't you?" Karliah asked.

"Oh yeah," Alan snickered, "Robbed this woman named Viola blind…Feel bad for the Dunmer she's going to end up blaming though".

Karliah and Brynjolf shared a look, "We going to keep playing this game, lad?"

Alan smiled widely at Brynjolf, "Oh, we could all stand to play more games".

"…Weren't your girls asking for a pet pony?"

Alan slammed his drink on the counter, "…I guess now I know why you sent everyone away. You plan on using that from the beginning?"

Brynjolf nodded, "Didn't want to," Alan merely nodded.

"But back to the matter at hand," Karliah continued.

"Please," Alan scoffed, "We all know Maven could stand to be taken down a peg".

"That's not the point!" Brynjolf slammed his hand against the bar, "We may have gotten back on our feet, but Maven is still a huge revenue stream for us! You can't keep antagonizing her!"

"I don't have any love for Maven either, Alan," Karliah placed a hand on his shoulder, "But this is getting dangerous. First she 'lost' that magic inkwell, then Honningbrew gets immense revenue from a 'mysterious investor' allowing them to move out of her pocket—while still in our mind you—and now this," she sighed, rubbing her temples, "You're good Alan, but she's going to catch you soon enough".

Alan nodded somberly, "Then it's a good thing I'm going to stay away from Riften, and the Guild, for awhile".

Brynjolf leaned closer to Alan, "What do you mean, lad?"

"You guys heard of the Dawnguard?"

Brynjolf frowned, "Heard a few guards talk it, why?"

"They're a band of warriors seeking to destroy the vampire menace," Alan shrugged, "At least, that's what an old tome on the group said".

Karliah frowned, "Well, I have heard rumors of smaller settlements being accosted by vampires".

"So," Brynjolf cocked a brow, "one of their ranks asked you join?"

"Yeah".

"And you plan on doing so?"

"I've got nothing going on at the moment, so…why not?"

Brynjolf and Karliah chuckled. "Well, lad, may Nocturnal watch over you on this latest endeavor".

"And don't worry about Maven, we'll keep her off your back," Karliah added.

Alan wrapped his arms around their shoulders, bringing them in for a quick hug. "Thanks you two". He stood up, pulling on his hood and mask. "And Lady Nocturnal, if you're listening, don't worry. I'll be sure to grab some loot in your honor".

The three Nightingales shivered the room darkened, before lighting up in the next instant. Alan smirked, "Well, she doesn't seem mad".

Brynjolf sighed as the Breton walked away, moving behind the counter to grab some liquor, "One thing's for sure, it'll be calmer with him gone".

Karliah grinned, "I'll drink to that".

 **A/N: So…I woke up and found a very, very rough draft of the Dragonborn curb stomping Harkon on my computer. So I decided, 'Fuck it, why not make an entire story out of it'. FYI, the Dragonborn DLC was completed before this story...I wasn't kidding when I said Harkon is going to be stomped. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Hearth and Home

 **Skyrim is owned by Bethesda.**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **DOVAH-ZUL**_ _"_

" **Daedra/Aedra speech"**

 **Line Break**

Alan frowned as he exited the narrow cave, stepping towards the light and blinking the darkness away, "Ugh, could they have picked a more out of the way location," he muttered.

He looked ahead, not seeing anyone. He took in a deep breath, " _ **LAAS YAH NIR**_ " and nodded when nothing came to view. He then bent down, pulling out a dagger.

He heard a snort from behind, and without looking over his shoulder, replied, "Shut it".

Another snort, followed by a whinny.

Alan scowled, "Shadowmere, this is hard enough without adding the cold and your particular brand of sarcasm to the mix".

The dark horse shook its head in what could only be amusement, but was silent.

Alan turned back to the task at hand, charging up magical energy in his right index finger. After reaching a sufficient charge, he carved Ayleidoon ( **look it up** ) runes into the ground in a circular pattern. After completing the circle, he took off his right glove, and cut a gash into his palm. He squeezed, ignoring the pain in favor of carefully observing the runes. When they glowed a bright orange, he immediately removed his hand. The glow persisted for a second longer, before disappearing.

With a flick of the wrist, Alan healed his palm, then waved his hands in front of him, charging up Magicka once more. He then released the energy into the runes, and they disappeared from view.

He turned to his horse, "You go ahead and do whatever you want. I'll call you when I'm done here".

Shadowmere nodded, and swiftly turned around to go back through the cave.

Alan followed the horse until it disappeared into the darkness, "…One of these days, I'm going to find out what you do when I'm not around," he mumbled, before walking in the opposite direction, shivering slightly at the harsh, cold air.

Thankfully (and strangely) enough, the cold air dissipated the further along he went, disappearing altogether when he saw a large waterfall some fifty feet ahead. He then saw what could only be the structure known as 'Fort Dawnguard' he'd heard the Rift's guards mention. " _Impressive…I can see why this would make an appealing base of operations…though it's more of a castle than a fort_ ".

His gaze then fell upon a young, blonde man in plain clothing staring at the massive structure, nervously shifting his weight from foot-to-foot.

"Hey there!" Alan called out.

The young man jumped, before spinning around, an uneasy, yet confidant, smile on his face. "Hello there. You here to join the Dawnguard too?"

"That I am," Alan nodded, "And I can assume you are as well?"

The blond nodded, "Of course!" he shouted. He then blushed, "I've just, uh, been working up the courage. I'm Agmaer, by the way," the Nord extended a hand.

"Alan," the Breton said as he shook the offered hand. He then pointed to the fort-castle, "Well, I'll be on my way".

"Er, wait!" Alan looked over his shoulder, "Do you mind if I walk with you?"

Alan stared at the Agmaer—which was unnerving for the young blond, since the only discernible features on the covered head were dull, green eyes—before shrugging, "Sure, let's move".

The two moved at a nice pace, Alan taking advantage of the silence to note chokepoints and other strategically useful areas, while half paying attention to what Agmaer said.

"…What I really want is the ability to give my Ma and Pa some peace in their last years. I mean, first the Civil War, then Dragons, and now vampires?!" the young man's voice gained a pitch as he finished the sentence.

Alan arched a brow, "Well, the Civil War officially ended four months ago".

Agmaer snorted, "That's not what's left of the Stormcloaks believe".

Alan stopped, "…Any of them give you and your family trouble?"

Agmaer shook his head, "No, thank the Nine," he froze, whirling around to face Alan, "uh, I mean—!"

Alan held up his hands, "Calm down, kiddo," Alan reached into his pouch, taking out an Amulet of Talos, "You're among friends".

Relief visibly washed over Agmaer, and the two continued walking.

Agmaer soon broke the silence once more, "You know I am really anxious about all this".

"Really, you hide it so well".

Agmaer chuckled, "Besides what I mentioned earlier…I'm hoping to meet someone".

Alan cocked a brow, "…There are simpler ways to find a wife boy".

Another chuckle, "Not that—"

"Or husband".

Agmaer stared at Alan, "…I'm hoping to meet the Dragonborn".

Alan stilled momentarily, but continued on before the Nord noticed, "Oh, have you two met?"

Agmaer sighed, "No…But I've heard of his tales; a true Nord, like the heroes of old. Taller than a bear, with the strength of a mammoth, wielding a blade—longer than most men are tall and sharp enough to cleave solid rocks in two— specifically forged for him by Eorlund Gray-Mane, heated in dragon flames! Armor forged from the very bones of the beasts he's slain!" Agmaer's voice steadily rose until he was all but yelling, "I mean, what hot-blooded Nord would pass up the opportunity to bring an end to the vampire menace?!"

" _The cold-blooded Breton kind_ ," thought with amusement, face splitting into a wide grin, _"I'm really glad I won that bet with Vilkas"_. He then said, "Who knows Agmaer, maybe you'll get a chance to fight side-by-side with the Dragonborn".

"You think so?" Agmaer asked with a glimmer in his eyes.

Alan, touched by the blond's exuberance, nodded, "I do".

"Thanks," Agmaer replied.

The two then noticed that the fort-castle's main doors were in view.

Agmaer gulped, inclining his head until he nearly fell backwards, "…It's bigger than I thought," he finally said.

Alan nodded in agreement.

"Hello there!" the two turned to face a smiling, brown haired man wearing what could only be the Dawnguard's signature armor. "The name's Celann. Here to join the Dawnguard?" Alan and Agmaer nodded, "Good! Though, Isran still has the final say in the matter."

Alan crossed his arms, "I take it Isran is the leader of the Dawnguard?"

Celann nodded, "Yeah. He's been obsessed with this place for a long time, it's actually impressive that he fixed it up quickly as he did".

"You two have known each other for awhile?"

"We met when we were both Vigilants of Stendarr, and we left together as well," Alan cocked a brow, most Vigilants he knew were members for life, "Lost touch with each other as the years passed, but a few months ago he told me he needed my help," Celann's face scrunched into a frown, "And Isran does not ask for help".

Alan nodded, "I'm sure…Well, time to meet the big man himself".

Celann smiled, "I won't keep you. May you always prevail."

Alan inclined his head, "And you as well". He walked towards the door, frowning when he noticed Agmaer had not moved from his spot. Alan looked over his shoulder, "You coming, kid?"

Agmaer gulped audibly, "I-I'll be in in a minute".

Alan shrugged, opening the massive wooden doors.

 **Line Break**

As Alan entered the fort-castle, he immediately saw two men arguing in the middle of the room; a blading Nord and a bald Redguard.

"Please Isran!" the Nord pleaded, "You have to help me!"

"I can't Tolan," the now named Isran stated gruffly, "Disregarding my personal feeling towards the Vigilants, we just don't have the manpower".

"But the Vigilants are under constant attack by vampires! The Hall was destroyed!"

"Woah! Back up!" Tolan and Isran turned to face Alan, "The Hall was destroyed?"

Tolan hung his head low, "Yes…I was the only one who made it out alive".

Isran narrowed his gaze, "And who might you be?"

Alan stood up straight, looking Isran straight in the eye, "The name's Alan".

Isran narrowed his gaze, "Ah, yes. Durak told me about you".

Alan smirked, "Anything good?"

Isran grunted, "He was rather impressed with that Dremora under your control".

"What!" Tolan screamed. He glared at Alan (who jauntily waved) before turning to Isran, "You're consorting with Daedra worshipers now?!"

"The vampires are too big a problem to worry about that sort of thing, Tolan".

"Have you completely abandoned the Tenants of the Vigilantes?"

"…You came to me".

"Hey," the two turned to face Alan once more, "If it's too much of a problem, I can just leave".

"No," Isran forcefully stated. "You said you wanted to join, right, put an end to the vampires prowling the land?"

Alan nodded, "Sure…I've killed at least a dozen vampires in the last week and a half alone. Granted, most of those were holed up in a cave, but yeah, way more than usual".

Isran grunted, jerking his head at Tolan. "Tell him about Dimhollow crypt".

Tolan glared hard at both Isran and Alan.

"Now, Tolan!"

Tolan clenched his jaw. "…The vampires stole some notes one of our members, Adalvald, recorded".

"What were the notes about?"

Tolan shrugged, "I don't know, something about a massive structure he found deep within the cave".

Alan hummed, "And where is this cave?"

Tolan turned on his heel, "No! I don't need the help of someone who communes with Daedra".

"Tolan!" Isran shouted.

Alan simply hopped in front of Tolan, blocking the Nord's way.

Tolan scowled, pushing past Alan. Rather, he tried to, but the Breton would not budge. Tolan pushed again, but nothing. He pushed once more, his face burning with effort, but still no change.

When Tolan moved back, panting heavily, Alan calmly took out a map, unfolding it. "Where's the cave?"

With visible scorn, Tolan pressed a finger on the map. "Here," he spat, "on the mountain East of Morthal, and Southwest of Dawnstar".

Alan nodded, a pleased gleam in his eyes as he stepped aside. "See you there!"

Tolan merely growled, stomping out the fort-castle.

As the door slammed shut, Alan looked over at Isran, "Anything about these vampires I should know about? I doubt these are the same types of roaming ferals and newbloods I usually kill".

Isran grunted (he seemed fond of that), "The fact that these bloodsuckers are organized enough to destroy the Hall is nothing to scoff at. But vampires are still vampires, no matter how smart they think they are. I do have something that'll give you a bit of an edge, however".

Alan tilted his head as Isran walked to the edge of the room, opening a chest. He pulled out a large, strange wooden contraption, which actually looked a lot like the ballista scattered about Dwarven ruins, along with a pouch filled with tiny arrows".

Isran walked in front of Alan, holding the items out. He held out the tiny ballista, "Crossbow," and the pouch, "Bolts".

Alan took the pouch fist, attaching it to his waist just below his quiver. He then grabbed the crossbow, weighing it in his hands with a frown, before settling on the most comfortable grip, his left hand on the bulk of its body, his right hand gripping the narrow end, his pointer finger curled around a tiny piece of metal with moved back and forth. Alan then took note of a lever near what would be the wings of a regular bow, and pulled on it, grunting lightly as it resisted. When he pulled it back all the way, he noted a small groove in the middle of the weapon. With a flash of understanding, he pulled a bolt out of the pouch, sliding it into the groove. Taking careful aim, Alan pointed to a bench, and fired, humming at both the jolt he received, and the loud crack that reverberated through the air.

"Impressive," Isran said with a hint of respect, "Most people need some help before they figure it out".

Alan shrugged, "It reminds me of Dwarven ballistas. Who designed this, by the way?"

Isran shrugged, "They came with the fort".

"Castle".

Isran frowned, "What?"

"It's not really a fort," Alan said as he sent the weapon away into his pocket dimension.

Isran grunted, "You'd best go to Dimhollow Crypt, help out Tolan".

Alan sighed, "Yeah, not that he'll be all that grateful" he then smiled, "Still, I've always loved egging on Nords".

Isran grunted once more, "Good luck. And watch your back out there".

Alan nodded in reply, heading for the door. He took a moment to say good-bye to Agmaer, before heading for the exit.

 **Line Break**

Alan let out a sigh as he gazed upon the Blue Palace, " _Wonder how Elisif is doing…I should really pay her a visit"._

"Ruff!"

Alan whirled around, "Meeko!" he cried as he knelt down low, falling down as the dog bowled him over. Alan laughed as Meeko slobbered on him, before pushing the excited dog off of him, sitting up to wipe the drool off of his face.

"Papa!"

"You're back!"

Alan let out a grunt as his children (like their dog) rammed into him, knocking him over. Sofie gave him a kiss on the cheek, before recoiling, "Bleh! Your cheek tastes disgusting!"

Lucia giggled, "Meeko did meet him first".

"Girls, not that this isn't pleasant, but could you get off of Papa?"

The two did so, though Lucia pursed her lips, "Wait, why are you back so soon?"

"Yeah," Sofie continued, "It's only been a few days since we last saw you".

Alan nodded, "I know. But I've got a job in the area, not to mention that I completely forgot about something".

"What?" his daughters asked at the same time.

"I forgot to make a new saddle for Frost".

Shadowmere snorted.

"Oh you hush! You've already got your own custom saddle".

Sofie stepped closer to Shadowmere, petting his flank, "Aw, it's okay Shadowmere, you're still a good horse".

Alan could swear the horse swelled up in pride.

"Can we help, with the saddle?"

Alan smiled widely at his daughters, "I was hoping you would ask".

Sofie sprung to her feet, "I'll go get the forge ready!"

Lucia quickly followed suit, "I'll gather your supplies!"

Alan smiled fondly as his daughters disappeared into their home.

With a sigh, Alan got up, taking a moment to scratch Meeko behind the ear, "Let's head inside, boy," he gave Shadowmere a pointed stare, "And you, play nice with Frost!"

The horse said nothing, opting to swat Alan on the head with his tail as he trotted to the stables.

When Alan opened the door, Meeko darted inside, diving under the table, before lying down in his usual spot in front of the fireplace.

"Ah," Alan looked up to see his wife walk down the stairs, "That would explain why the girls rushed to the basement".

Alan grinned tenderly, "Hello Ilia," he caught her in a hug, giving her a quick kiss on the lips, "How've you been?"

Ilia smiled, "Good," but then frowned, "But why—"

"Am I home so soon?" Ilia nodded in understanding, "I've got a job in the area…Where's everyone else?"

Ilia cocked a brow, "Well, Erandur's down in Morthal, getting some Alchemical ingredients for me, Vladimar just left on patrol and Teldryn and Lydia are clearing out a bear den for the Jarl".

Alan nodded, "All right…let them know that I want to have a get together, after the girls go to bed".

"…What's wrong?" Ilia asked with a frown.

Alan sighed, before giving her another kiss, "Tell you later. For now, why don't you get back to…what were you doing?"

Ilia stepped back, "Oh, just going over the list of enchantments we have, weeding out the more dangerous ones".

Alan nodded, "Oh! Finally going to teach the girls?"

Ilia nodded, "Yeah," she said as she walked up the steps, "Think I'll start with stamina enhancements; they were what I started out with after all".

Alan grinned, "Yeah, I remember the necklace you gave me for our wedding…Dibella knows we put it to good use". His grin widened as Ilia tripped up the last step.

She whirled around, face flush, "Alan!"

"See you in a bit!" he replied as he hurried to the cellar.

Ilia sighed, a fond smile on her face.

 **Line Break**

"Ah, there you are Vladimar, I was getting worried," Erandur said as he handed the Nord an empty bowl and some mead.

"Anything particularly troubling?" Teldryn asked as he cleaned his blade.

Vladimar shook his head, grabbing some stew, "Nah, just spent the better part of the afternoon tracking down some bandits. They won't be bothering anyone anymore".

"Alan's back," Lydia stated over a mug.

Vladimar cocked a brow, setting his spoon down, "So soon?"

Ilia shrugged, "Said he wanted to talk. He's putting the girls to bed right now".

As she said that, the door leading to the room he and his daughters shared creaked open. Alan, wearing a simple brown shirt and pants, scowled, "We really need to oil these hinges".

"Greeting, my Thane," Vladimar said.

Alan smiled at his Housecarl, "Ah, Vladimar, how was your patrol?"

Vladimar shrugged, finishing his stew with a gulp, "Same as usual".

"Good," Alan nodded, "good".

He grabbed his seat at the head of the table, face set in a heavy frown—idly petting Meeko who trotted over to be close to his owner.

Teldryn, Vladimar, Lydia and Erandur exchanged worried glances. Rarely had they ever seen their friend in such a somber mood.

Ilia placed a hand over her husband's "Alan…what's wrong?"

Alan turned her hand over, interlocking their fingers. He took a deep breath, "…The Hall of the Vigilants was destroyed by vampires".

Everyone froze, and the hearth seemed to dim.

Erandur was the first to break the silence, "Wh-you can't be serious!" He flinched under Alan's stare, "Of course, sorry, it's just—"

"I know," Alan cut the Dunmer off, "I didn't really believe it until I saw the damage for myself".

Lydia gulped audibly, "Any survivors?"

"Of the Vigilants as a whole, not many. The Hall was more of a rest stop than a proper base. Of the Hall itself, only a lone Nord named Tolan, who I met when I visited the Dawnguard—Of which I'm a member now, I think".

Teldryn arched his back, letting out a breath, "All right. What's your plan? You wouldn't bring this up if you weren't scheming something".

Alan sighed, "…Worst comes to worst, you all take Sofie and Lucia and teleport to Solstheim".

All present quickly voiced their disagreement.

"No way in hell!"

"And leave you alone to face those bloodsuckers!"

"I swore an oath to keep you safe, I won't abandon that now!"

Even Meeko whimpered at Alan.

"Quiet," the word came out as a whisper, but the manor whole rumbled with power.

All present quickly stopped talking.

Alan sighed. He brought up Ilia's hand to his lips, kissing it, "…Please, understand that the only reason I'm even suggesting this is because there is some massive band of vampires out there brazen enough to attack a group of people dedicated to wiping out the Daedra and all associated with them".

He then looked at Erandur, Lydia, Vladimar, and Teldryn straight in their eyes, "If you remember, the reason why I asked you all to stay here is because I trusted you all enough to keep my daughters, and eventually my wife—who can honestly take care of herself," he smiled at Ilia, who reciprocated, "but hey, peace of mind and all that—safe from those who would use them to get to me".

"But no ones been stupid enough to even try—well, aside from that Redguard woman".

"Exactly Vladimar, and do you know why she tried to do so?" Vladimar (and everyone else) shook their heads. He smirked grimly, "Because she had no idea who I was". His face then morphed into another frown, "Every major power I've managed to piss off—the Thalmor, the Synod, the odd Prince—knows exactly the power I wield, and the hell I would bring upon them if I even thought they would bring harm to those I love". He chuckled, "Unfortunately, I don't know if this group knows who I am…and that is not a risk I'm willing to take".

Everyone looked down at that.

Soon after, Lydia stood up, bringing a hand to her breast and bowing slightly, "No matter what happens, I shall do as you ask my Thane".

Vladimar did the same, "As will I".

Alan smiled at the two Housecarls. He then looked over at Teldryn and Erandur. The former snorted, "If you're expecting me to follow suit you can forget that". Alan chuckled, "But I'll do as you ask…the little brats have grown on me, despite my best efforts".

Erandur opted for a smile; "I'll follow you to Oblivion and back. Or in this case, protect your children from this end of Tamriel to the next".

Alan turned to his wife. Ilia smiled lovingly, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek, "…You'll be safe?"

Alan leaned his forehead against hers, "My love, have I ever been otherwise?"

Meeko barked.

"Nobody asked you".

Laughter echoed throughout the main hall.

"Well," Alan stood up, "I do believe that's everything…and let me just say, I am exhausted and need some rest".

With that, Alan extended a hand to his wife, who accepted it, linking arms as they headed for their room (ignoring the creaking sound the door made).

 **A/N: A) I know you can't have more than three followers at most live at a manor (discounting the bard and carriage driver [neither of which Alan hired]), I also don't care B) I know Ilia cannot be married, I don't care. *** **Deep Breath** *** Just wanted to get that out there. Also, I imagine the manor Alan lives at having every addition minus the trophy room (because I personally find it useless). Bottom line, to the North, a massive tower filled with Bookshelves, Alchemy and Enchanting materials, and a greenhouse leading up to the tower from the bottom floor: To the East, a kitchen and storage room: And finally, to the West, a bedroom (with a wall and door dividing the Lucia's and Sofie's room from Alan's and Ilia's) and an armory (connected via Alan's room): A basement with a fully functioning forge, as well as a shrine to the Nine Divines (screw the Thalmor): and to round it all out, a garden for fruits and vegetables, and a stable for Frost and Shadowmere. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Spelunking

 **Skyrim is owned by Bethesda.**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **DOVAH-ZUL**_ _"_

" **Daedra/Aedra speech"**

 **Line Break**

Ilia twitched as a sudden sound, followed by a soft curse, floated into her ears.

She bleary opened her eyes, sighing as she saw the bed empty save for herself. Lifting her head to look over her shoulder, she half-smiled, half-frowned at the sight of her husband hunched over a stack of parchments on his desk, shadows from a candle flame dancing across his face, a quill in hand.

She quietly got up, slipping into her dress robe. She walked over to Alan, wrapping her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his head, "What time is it?"

"Four fifty-three in the morning," Alan said without looking up.

"And how long have you been up?"

"Not long".

"Alan…"

Alan stopped writing, "…One hour forty-three minutes and fifty seconds".

Ilia hummed, kissing the top of his head, "Nightmares?"

Alan scoffed, tilting his head back to look his wife in the eyes, "Vaermina was particularly vindictive, if uninspired".

"Oh?"

Alan snorted, "Nothing more than the manor in ruins and figure with red eyes standing over your corpses; hair-raising to be sure, but compared to what she sent me after Miraak, largely unimpressive".

Ilia chuckled at her husband's bored, analytical tone. She then gently grabbed the quill from his hand, setting it aside. She then started to rub his shoulders, "Come back to bed"

Alan moaned at Ilia's touch, but then shook his head, "I'm almost finished with the second volume".

"Of how many?" Ilia asked with a raised brow.

Alan hung his head low, "I'll know when I'm finished".

"You need to relax," she quietly stated.

Alan snorted, "Sleep won't help me in that endeavor, too much energy".

Ilia hummed, before grabbing a green vial from the shelf above Alan's desk, ignoring his cocked brow. She downed the potion in one gulp, shivering as she felt her previous tiredness disappear.

She slipped her hands down Alan's shirt, tenderly raking her nails against his chest, "All right, forget sleep". She leaned down to his ear "I've been reading up on the Dibellan Arts" she whispered huskily.

Ilia smirked as Alan stilled. Her lips widened into a full smile as he summoned an orb of blue magic in his hands, expanding it until it encompassed the whole room.

 **Line Break**

Alan let out a low growl as he spotted yet another Snow Bear. He quickly shouted, " _ **KAAN DREM OV**_ " and the beast left him and Shadowmere alone.

Said horse then buckled, neighing in discomfort.

Alan patted Shadowmere's flank sympathetically, "I know, I know, you don't like the Shout," the horse nodded in affirmation, "But do you really want to kill another bear?" Shadowmere snorted, red eyes glowing at the thought, "Well…I don't, and I hold the reins so…Deal with it".

Shadowmere whinnied lowly, but trotted down the stone path.

They eventually came to an incline, and after following the upward path for a few minutes, Alan saw a stone bridge leading into the mountain.

The Breton hopped off his horse, "All right buddy, see you later". Shadowmere shook his mane, and trotted back down the mountain.

Alan slowly walked into the cave, frowning at the abnormally intense darkness. He snapped his fingers, and Dawnbreaker came forth from his extra dimensional storage, illuminating the cavern.

He felt something glare at him from the beyond, and he frowned apologetically at the lingering shadows, "Sorry my fellow Nightingales, but I do not have night vision".

The glare lessened slightly.

With a soft smile, he held the blade in front of him, walking forward. After a moment, he saw torches lining the walls, and he banished the mythical blade.

Rolling his shoulders, he 'whispered', " _ **LAAS YAH NIR**_ ". Several red wisps entered his vision, after which he crouched low, inching his way forward. The path soon opened up into a greater cavern, Alan slinking behind a natural pillar.

He peered forward, noting a pair of vampires standing in front of the entrance to what looked like a Nordic ruin, along with those strange, coal black dogs that he'd sometimes seen wandering around with vampires.

Calling upon Nocturnal's blessing, Alan willed himself invisible. After a familiar tingle crept throughout his body, he slowly moved forward.

"…Lokil would hurry up," he heard one of the vampires say, "I've half a mind to tell Lord Harkon he entrusted this task to a fool".

Alan paused, hiding behind a boulder.

The other vampire snorted, "Good luck. You know how much favor Lokil has with him".

"You've got a point," the first vampire groused. The two were silent after that

Alan scowled; he'd hoped they would talk more of their infrastructure. Then he turned his gaze to the large entrance, and his eyes softened incrementally at the sight of Tolan, lying on the ground, a pool of dry blood around his head and neck.

Subconsciously, Alan brought a hand up to his neck. He then steeled his nerves, and charged up two separate spells—blue and purple—In his hands.

He shot both orbs forward, the purple one landing right in front of one of the vampires.

The undead man jumped back in fright as a hulking Dremora charged forward, bellowing at the top of its lungs.

"Where in Oblivion?!"

" **You'll find out soon enough**!" the Dremora cried as it slashed forward.

The vampire avoided all but a shallow cut, but that shallow cut still seared and caused him to hiss in pain as the fire enchantment inherent to all Daedric weapons kicked in.

The second vampire ran forward to help her ally, but paused as a low whine entered her ears. Whirling around, she started at the sight of that Nord Vigilant slamming his hammer down on one of their beasts, crushing its skull.

The vampire snarled, rushing for the resurrected Nord. Then a sharp projectile slammed into her chest, forcing her to gasp in pain. She staggered, and then a projectile pierced her throat, and she fell down choking on her stolen blood.

Alan rolled his shoulders as he emerged from behind the boulder. He eyed the crossbow in his hands critically, "Aim higher, see about making the lever easier to pull back," he muttered to himself.

He heard a strangled scream from ahead, and rolled his eyes as the Dremora roared in triumph. "Is this the most fun you have in your immortal life. Tell me, honestly?"

The Dremora scowled, " **Be silent mortal! Allow me to bask in my kill** ".

Alan groaned, "See you later," he said as he banished the Dremora back to Oblivion.

He turned to Tolan, who moaned lowly. He shrugged, "If it's any consolation, you've probably earned a one-way ticket to Sovngarde. Plus, Alduin isn't a problem anymore so, yeah". He then shot two pale blue orbs at the dead vampires, allowing Tolan's body to disintegrate to ash.

 **Line Break**

Alan growled as he downed healing potion. "Stupid vampires and their stupid ice spells and their stupid taunts". He pushed open a door, and started at two strange statues on the opposite end of the open room he entered. He peered closer, _"These things look…so life-like…neat_ ".

He then heard a strangled cry from ahead, and quickly (and quietly) moved forward. He frowned at the sight of a still-twitching corpse lying face first in front of a pair of vampires. He bit back a curse, just slow enough. He shouted, " _ **LAAS YAH NIR**_ ," nodding when only the two vampires appeared as red wisps.

He stood up, " _ **TIID**_ ," the two vampires jerked their heads up towards Alan, and one of them started to charge up a spell in his hands," _ **KLO UL**_!"

Alan rolled his neck his vision gained a blue tint, and time slowed to a crawl, obeying his will.

Staring down at the two vampires, Alan smiled sharply as he squared his shoulders. " _ **YOL**_ ," he took in a deep breath, _"_ _ **TOOR SHUL**_!" he drew the last syllable out as long as he could. He was left panting as all the air left his lungs, panting over the railing; he shook his head, winded after three shouts in quick succession, he was getting sloppy. He made a mental note to take a trip up to High Hrothgar in the near future.

He then felt time lurch to its true speed, and smiled as the two vampires screeched in agony.

He hopped down, taking a moment to wave vampire dust away from his face. He then stared at the large structure just ahead, and after taking a moment to let his Dovah Sil, his draconic soul, regain its full strength.

He walked forward, frowning at the sight of a pedestal right in the middle of the structure. He walked up to it, looking around as he did so, frowning as he saw nothing of note. He poked the top of the pedestal, humming when it moved slightly. He pushed it with his left index finger, frowning when it didn't move any more than before. He placed his whole hand upon it, pushing down hard.

A spike jutted out from the pedestal, piercing his hand.

"By Sithis!" he cried out. He tried to remove his palm, but fell to his knees as his blood was forcibly drained from his body.

After what felt like hours of agony, the spike retreated back into the pedestal. Quick as a flash, he cast a healing spell, letting the warm magic wash over his body. He gazed up at his palm, sighing at the sight of his flesh stitching back together.

He sprung up to his feet, taking a moment to glare at the pedestal. He then turned his gaze to a tall brazier in line with purple flames.

He quickly solved the puzzle.

As he pushed the last brazier into place, he heard stone begin to shift. He whirled around to face the source, the center of the room sinking down, allowing a large stone coffin to rise up.

With a snarl, Alan summoned Dawnbreaker, charging up a flame spell in his hands, "Of course, what else would be sealed here but a vampire?" The lid of the coffin started to open from the top, "Okay, calm down. It might have been in there for so long, it's just a dried out husk".

The lid slid down onto the ground, revealing, to Alan's immense shock, an ordinary (if pale) woman in ornate clothing.

 **A/N: Whew! Another chapter done! Short but hey, I'm comfy with it. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	4. Chapter 4 (Prank)

Chapter (-)4:

The First of Rain's Hand

 **Skyrim is owned by Bethesda.**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **DOVAH-ZUL**_ _"_

" **Daedra/Aedra speech"**

 **Line Break**

Alan lowered his hands as the woman fell forward. She stumbled slightly; clutching her head as she had what Alan assumed was her first breath of fresh air in a long while.

"Ooh," the woman groaned, "Where," she blinked her eyes open, sniffing the air. "Where am I?" she turned to Garret, staring at him with eerie, glowing orange eyes, "Who sent you?" she asked with a narrowed gaze.

Alan hummed lowly, "…You were expecting someone?"

The woman sighed, "Well, someone like me, at least".

"A vampire?"

The woman nodded, "Yeah".

Alan eyed the coffin behind her, "How long were you in there?"

"Fair question," she looked up at the ceiling, "…Who's the current High King of Skyrim?"

Alan cocked a brow, "Assuming you've been in there more than a century, how would that help?"

The woman chuckled, scratching her chin, "Fair point".

Alan sighed, "It if helps, we're in Fourth Era".

The woman jerked her head down, staring at Garret with wide eyes, "F-Fourth?! I didn't know there was more than one!"

Alan hummed, "So you must have been sealed…" he blanched, "Around the First Era…huh, you might be as old as the Empire".

"What Empire?"

Now Alan stared wide-eyed at the woman, "…Older than the Empire".

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose, "I've been away for so long…"

"Yes, by the way, why were you sealed in that tomb for the last few millennia?"

A sigh, "It's…complicated. Plus, I'm not entirely sure I can trust you," Alan shrugged. "But," the woman continued, "If you're willing take me back to my family's home, you could learn the whole story".

Alan, after taking a moment to think, nodded. He pulled out a map, walking over to the woman. He froze, however, when he saw a familiar item lying in the coffin, "…Is that an Elder Scroll?"

The woman jumped, reaching down to pick the item up, "Yes, and it's mine," she said as she stood in front of the mythical item. She then reached over to grab the map from the still frozen Alan's hands, "Thank you," she muttered.

After studying it for a moment, she pointed to an area in the sea, Northwest of Solitude. "Here, this is where we're heading".

Alan shook himself from his reverie. He looked over the woman's shoulder, breath hitching slightly as he saw where her finger was, and "You live…there?"

The woman nodded, looking over the unfamiliar and changed landmarks on the map, "Yeah".

"In the giant castle a few miles offshore?"

She flinched, "Oh…so you've seen it?"

Alan nodded, "I've been meaning to pay the place a visit".

The woman chuckled, handing the map back to Alan, "Well, it's a good thing you didn't. My, uh, clan isn't very fond of visitors". She then turned around, extending a hand "I'm Serana, figured now would be a good time to introduce myself".

Alan smiled widely, his facemask crinkling slightly at the edges. "Well, Serana," he grabbed her hand in his won, "You were right," she frowned, "You really shouldn't trust me".

Just as realization dawned on her, Serana cried out in agony as electricity coursed through her body. She raised her other hand, but Alan grabbed it as well, intensifying the pain and increasing her cries. Alan tightened his grip, and Serana fell on her knees, electricity arcing throughout her body throughout her body. With a grunt, Alan let go, letting Serana fall on her knees, shuddering as spasms racked her body.

He then crouched down to face her, pulling down his mask to show her his smiling face. Serana pushed through the pain, raising her hand to her hip, reaching for the attached dagger. "Oh no, no, no," Alan said as he gently pushed the hand down, sending more electricity through, causing her to screech once more.

Alan chuckled, standing up, "Man, you're a tough old bat". He summoned Dawnbreaker into his hands. He smirked as Serana's eyes widened (even more then before, to his amusement) in fear. "Ah, so you know what this is". He crouched down once more, placing a hand on her shoulder, as before, sending more electricity into the vampire. To her credit, she didn't shriek (though she did gasp hoarsely), "Then, you know what happens next".

He quickly jabbed the sword through her abdomen, and her cries resumed with fervor (to Alan's mild annoyance). He hummed lowly as the 'holy' blade burned the undead woman, white fire spreading to burn her entire body. She pulled back, trying to escape, but Alan just shook his head, and shoved the blade further in, until the hilt poked her body, forcing her to bend inward.

Soon enough, though, the fires died down, and Serana's struggles ceased. Alan slid the fresh corpse off the blade.

He stood up, pushing the body out of the way as he grabbed the Elder Scroll. He whistled, "Man, two of you…someone up there must love me".

He then smiled down at Serana, "Now, let's see about getting you home". He charged an orb of blue energy in his hands.

 **Line Break**

Harkon growled lowly, bad enough he was interrupted during his meal, but now he was being forced to wait. "Vingalmo!" he called out, "What are you waiting for?! Who has entered my Halls?"

His heightened senses caught sound of footfalls, but to the Vampire Lord's immense surprise, it was not his loyal soldier that stepped forward, but Serana, his long lost daughter, with that childish hood up to cover her face.

"Serana?" he asked incredulously, as the room entered a deadly quiet, "You have returned," he then spotted a cylindrical item concealed by black cloth on her back, "And you've brought my scroll!" he laughed. "Oh, if only your mother were still here. It would make her death all the sweeter". His brow furrowed when his daughter said nothing, "What's wrong? Usually you would have something snarky to say" A smile wormed its way onto his face, as his daughter strode up in front of him, "Or have you finally learned your place, after your traitorous mother stole away with my scroll, and you?"

Serana, without a word, took the Elder Scroll off her back, holding it out for him to grab, which he did with zeal.

"Oh, my dear daughter," he said as he undid the various latches holding the clothe together, "Soon, we shall no longer—what?!" He let the cover fall, revealing a log where his Elder Scroll should be.

All in the hall gasped in horror.

Harkon bared his teeth, "Is this your idea of a joke?!" Serana was silent. Harkon threw the log aside, "Answer me you insolent child!" he grabbed her by the throat, pulling her forward. Her hood fell off as she lurched forward, and Harkon let go of her in shock.

Everyone leaned forward to peer closer at Serana, or rather, the glowing blue lines arcing across her face.

"Wha—"

" _ **MUL QAH DIIV**_!"

Harkon jerked his head up to see a man covered head to toe in orange, ethereal armor. Before he could utter so much as a snarl, however, the man shouted, " _ **TIID KLO UL**_!"

And then the whole world burned.

 **Line Break**

Alan arched his back as time reasserted itself. He smiled down at the burning hall, satisfaction running through his body as he noted all the charred corpses (or sooty piles) littering the floor.

He then formed two purple orbs of magic in his hands, shooting them at the ground, while at the same time summoning a third being with his will.

Alan pointed to Arniel's Shade, "Gather any and all magic items, in the castle: spell books, soul gems, everything".

The Shade nodded slowly.

Alan pointed to Lucien Lachance, "Make a map of the castle. Leave no door unopened".

Lucien bowed, "As you command, my Listener".

Alan pointed to the Dremora, "Kill anything that moves".

The Dremora grinned cruelly, " **With pleasure**!"

 **Line Break**

"An entire castle, just off the coast of Solitude, filled with vampires," Isran incredulously stated as he looked at a map of said castle.

Alan nodded.

Isran lifted his head up slowly, "And you killed every single vampire living there, by yourself?"

Alan shrugged, "Well, I did have a couple shades and a Dremora to assist, but yes, the vast majority are dead, uh, again. I've no doubt a few managed to escape, but with their main hierarchy is destroyed, whatever members they have left will be floundering in the wind".

Isran wanted to get angry; to yell at the Breton standing in front of him to get out of his face and stop wasting his time with what could only be drunken ramblings. But there was something in the man's eyes that…made him believe he spoke the truth.

Alan waved to Isran, "Hey, I'm going to be heading out. You need anything?"

Isran cleared his throat, "I'll, uh, send for you, if you're needed".

Alan smiled, turning to head out the door, "See you around".

 **A/N: Told you Harkon was going to get stomped…**

 **Happy April Fool's Day!**

 **Expect an actual chapter to come at a later date. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


	5. Chapter 4 (Actual)

Chapter 4:

Vampires Everywhere!

 **Skyrim is owned by Bethesda.**

"Talking"

" _Thoughts"_

" _ **DOVAH-ZUL**_ _"_

" **Daedra/Aedra speech"**

 **Line Break**

Alan lowered his hands as the woman fell forward. She stumbled slightly; clutching her head as she had what Alan assumed was her first breath of fresh air in a long while.

"Ooh," the woman groaned, "Where," she blinked her eyes open, sniffing the air. "Where am I?" she turned to Garret, staring at him with eerie, glowing orange eyes, "Who sent you?" she asked with a narrowed gaze.

Alan hummed lowly, "…You were expecting someone?"

The woman sighed, "Well, someone like me, at least".

"A vampire?"

The woman nodded, "Yeah".

Alan eyed the coffin behind her, "How long were you in there?"

"Fair question," she looked up at the ceiling, "…Who's the current High King of Skyrim?"

Alan cocked a brow, "Assuming you've been in there more than a century, how would that help?"

The woman chuckled, scratching her chin, "Fair point".

Alan sighed, "It if helps, we're in Fourth Era".

The woman jerked her head down, staring at Garret with wide eyes, "F-Fourth?! I didn't know there was more than one!"

Alan hummed, "So you must have been sealed…" he blanched, "Around the First Era…huh, you might be as old as the Empire".

"What Empire?"

Now Alan stared wide-eyed at the woman, "…Older than the Empire".

The woman pinched the bridge of her nose, "I've been away for so long…"

"Yes, by the way, why were you sealed in that tomb for the last few millennia?"

A sigh, "It's…complicated. Plus, I'm not entirely sure I can trust you," Alan shrugged. "But," the woman continued, "If you're willing take me back to my family's home, you could learn the whole story".

Alan, after taking a moment to think, nodded. He pulled out a map, walking over to the woman. He froze, however, when he saw a familiar item lying in the coffin, "…Is that an Elder Scroll?"

The woman jumped, reaching down to pick the item up, "Yes, and it's mine," she said as she stood in front of the mythical item. She then reached over to grab the map from the still frozen Alan's hands, "Thank you," she muttered.

After studying it for a moment, she pointed to an area in the sea, Northwest of Solitude. "Here, this is where we're heading".

Alan shook himself from his reverie. He looked over the woman's shoulder, breath hitching slightly as he saw where her finger was, and "You live…there?"

The woman nodded, looking over the unfamiliar and changed landmarks on the map, "Yeah".

"In the giant castle, a few miles offshore?"

She flinched, "Oh…so you've seen it?"

Alan nodded, "I've been meaning to pay the place a visit".

The woman chuckled, handing the map back to Alan, "Well, it's a good thing you didn't. My, uh, clan isn't very fond of visitors". She then turned around, extending a hand "I'm Serana, figured now would be a good time to introduce myself".

Alan frowned, staring at the offered limb. On the one hand, he thought he should kill this woman now, gather an army and destroy this home of hers (not to mention take that Elder Scroll as far away as possible). But…there was something in her eyes; a gleam (aside from the unnatural, orange one) akin to a…lost animal, like that injured fox Lucia fixed up a few months ago.

Plus, worse comes to worse, he could always kill her on the road.

He shook her hand, "Name's Alan".

Serana smiled (if a bit shakily), "Nice to meet you". She then turned around, strapping the Elder Scroll to her back.

Staring as she placed the mythical artifact to her back, Alan snapped his fingers, summoning a black cloth. He tossed it over to Serana, who yelped as it covered her face.

Alan's lips quirked upwards as the vampire pulled the cloth down, glaring slightly. Alan pointed to the scroll, "I don't think it would be a good idea to just leave that out for all the world to see".

Serana's glare lessened, and she did as he suggested.

Alan walked past the tomb, "C'mon, the sun should be gone about now".

Serana frowned, "Um, didn't you come in from the other way?"

Alan paused, turning around to nod. "Yes, but the ancient Nords liked to build shortcuts to the entrance this deep into their tombs, if not exits altogether".

Serana arched a brow, "You sure about that?"

Alan shrugged, "Haven't been proven wrong yet".

Having nothing to say to that, Serana opted to follow.

Alan lead them to an archway similar to the one he entered from. He frowned at the sight of two more of those odd statues, snarling at him. Then, a crack formed on one of their heads.

Alan froze.

Serana bumped into him, grunting as she did so. "Ah," she rubbed her nose, "What's the big idea?"

Alan clenched his jaw, "Those statues…"

Serana moved past the Breton, sighing at the sight of the two statues, "Oh, those are—"

More cracks started to form on both statues, until they exploded, forcing Alan and Serana to cover their faces to protect themselves from the shrapnel.

Alan hopped backwards, charging up fireballs in his palms, "What in the name of Kynareth?!"

"Gargoyles!" Serana said as she dodged a clawed swipe, shooting an Ice Spike into its shoulder, "They're very dangerous".

Alan rolled his eyes as he tossed the fireballs at the at the second gargoyle, sidestepping a retaliatory slash, "Thanks," he drawled as he summoned Dawnbreaker, "I had no idea".

Serana grit her teeth, but said nothing as she drew her dagger from its sheath, stabbing it into the Gargoyle's throat. The stone monster shrieked at the sensation, stopping just long enough for Serana to pull the dagger back, and jammed it through the beast's forehead.

The gargoyle cried out once more, shuddering greatly. Then, it stilled, as lifeless as it was moments ago.

Serana sighed, whirling around to face the second gargoyle. Only to pause at the sight of Alan stabbing his sword deep into the monster's torso.

She then got a better look at the blade as he pulled it out, and her blood froze.

She stepped back as Alan strapped the blade to his waist, crouching over the gargoyle.

"What is that, by the way?"

She jolted at the sudden question, but was silent, charging up an Ice Spike.

"Suppose I should be more specific," Alan stated as he moved to the second corpse (Serana slowly inching away), "What is that thing your holding?"

Serana scrunched her face into a frown, spell primed, "…You first".

Alan looked down at his blade, then groaned lightly. He turned to Serana, an awkward shine in his eyes, "Oh…right…Its name is Dawnbreaker...crafted by Meridia".

Serana bared her fangs, drawing her arm back and charging a spell.

Alan held his hands up defensively, "Hey, I'm not some undead hating fanatic!"

Serana scoffed, "No? Then what are you?"

Alan titled his head, "Currently…a vampire hunter," at Serana's hiss he squinted, "Did that not come up before?" He sighed, "Well, before you attack me, let me just say that if I wanted you dead, I've already had multiple opportunities to do so".

Serana's snarl lessened as she processed his words. After a moment of thinking, she cut off her spell, "You've got a point there".

"Right, my turn," Alan stood up, "What is that?" he said as he pointed to the weapon in Serana's hand.

Serana held her dagger up in confusion, "…A dagger?"

Alan rolled his eyes, "Obviously," he peered closer, "But what make?"

Serana furrowed her brow, "Elven".

Alan snorted, "No it's not".

"Yes, it is".

"No," Alan held the dagger level to his eyes, "it's not".

Serana jolted, shifting her gaze between the dagger and her empty hand, "How did…?"

"…Okay, I was wrong. It is Elven make," he snickered, "It just belongs in a museum".

Serana scoffed in disbelief, "This," she took the dagger back, "was handcrafted by a master Elven smith".

Alan let out a bark of laughter, "Sure, whatever you say".

 **Line Break**

Alan hummed lowly as he exited the cave. "Gaan Lah, Stamina Magicka" he said under his breath. He'd been searching for the second word of what he instinctually knew was the 'Drain Vitality' shout. Shearpoint to Blackreach, Markarth to Solstheim. And he finally found it in a cave that contained both an Elder Scroll, and a vampire older than the Empire. Speaking of.

He looked over his shoulder at Serana, who was staring up at Masser and Secunda, a serene expression on her face.

She sighed deeply, lifting her arms up, "Ah…I'd almost forgotten how good the cold breeze felt on my skin".

Alan frowned, "Aren't you resistant to cold temperatures? I mean, can you even feel it?"

She shook her head, "The wind makes it different". A strong breeze whooshed through the trees, blowing snow onto her face. She ran her hand through her face, spluttering, "Of course, snow is still annoying".

Alan chuckled, then frowned when he saw a large black shape enter the corner of his vision. He turned to fully face his horse, gesturing for the loyal steed to stay away.

Shadowmere shook its mane, but sank into the shadows as requested.

Alan nodded, then pulled out his map. He sighed as he eyed the spot he was supposed to take Serana. He ran through multiple routes, but they were all either well-populated, or too long. He swept his gaze to Dawnstar, idly remembering the ferries that took people to both Solitude and Windhelm. " _It's only a bit further than Solitude…I'll pay extra"_.

He heard a branch crunch behind him. "So," Serana began, "How are you getting me home?"

Alan rolled up the map, "Dawnstar. They have ferries that go to and from the opposite ends of Skyrim. One of them should be willing to take us".

 **Line Break**

"I'd sooner offer myself up to a Frost Troll than take you to that cursed place".

"C'mon be reasonable".

The ferryman snorted, "You'd best find another place to take your lady friend".

Alan flinched. "Okay, first off, no," he shook his head vigorously, "No. I've a wife, with whom I'm very happy. Second, I'm willing to pay well above your normal fee," he pulled out a pouch, which jingled loudly as he tossed it on the other man's lap.

The ferryman greedily scooped the pouch up, grinning at the shining Septims. "…I'll take you to a dock due South of the castle, along with an extra boat so you can take yourself. That's it".

Alan sighed, "Fair enough".

 **Line Break**

"'No Serana, I don't need any help'," Alan grumbled as he looped his rope around a wooden post, "'Are you sure?" he said in a falsetto tone, "it looks awfully taxing'".

He grunted as he tightened the knot, securing the boat to the shore. "'Oh positive. After all, these lanky, Breton arms were just made for rowing across the Sea of Ghosts!'"

"You say something?"

Alan sighed, dusting off his pants, "Nothing". He then noticed Serana's pursed lips and furrowed brow, "What's wrong?"

She shifted her gaze away from him, towards her tall spires of her home. She pulled her hood over her head, "…Look, just…do me a favor and don't try and attack anyone, or talk to anyone, or—"

"Got it," cut her off, "still and boring as a statue". Alan eyed the gargoyles dotting the bridge leading to the castle, "Speaking of…those aren't alive, are they?"

Serana shrugged, walking forward to the castle's gate, "I don't know…Haven't been here in years".

"Fair enough," Alan said as he followed.

As they approached the gate, they heard an elderly man call out, "W-who's there?" in what might have been a threatening tone, had it come from a younger, less halting voice.

Serana paused, giving Alan a chance to get a better look at the castle from a closer perspective. He whistled lowly, it was certainly an old building, and not in the best condition either.

"My word," Alan turned his attention back to the old voice, "It's Lady Serana!" Alan arched a brow, "Open the gate! Lady Serana has returned!"

Serana sighed, which caused Alan to snicker, "I wasn't aware I was in the presence of royalty".

Serana groaned lowly, "Don't…don't say that".

Alan smirked, then frowned, "…Nervous".

"…Yes," Serana slowly admitted.

"Does it have anything to do with whoever the Lord of this castle might be?"

Serana nodded slowly, "My father, Harkon".

Alan hummed, "Left things on a sour note?"

Her shoulders slumped, "You could say so…"

Alan stepped forward, placing a hand on Serana's shoulder. When she looked over, he smiled warmly, "Don't worry…I'm sure he'll be delighted to see his daughter after such a long time".

Serana gave a shaky smile in return, before pulling away as the gate slowly opened. She surged forward, quickly pushing the castle doors open, pausing to let Alan catch up.

Alan quickly followed, though he did take a second to make note of the old man who got the gate open. Alan frowned at his pallor skin and the manic shine in his eyes, alongside his rapid mutters. Alan quickly moved through the door.

Once inside, he heard someone—an Altmer—angrily ask, "Who dares?" only to cur himself off with a gasp as Serana lowered her hood, "Serana? Is it truly you?" his eyes then widened, and he ran out to the main hall, shouting of Serana's 'miraculous' return.

"So much for a quiet entrance," Serana gloomily muttered as she walked forward.

Alan chuckled silently, following after Serana. Then, as he made it to the top of the staircase, he froze.

Alan stared wide-eyed at the blood staining the walls and floor, the dozen or so vampires sitting at long tables, upon which corpses dressed in rags were sliced open, their blood either pooling into crimson chalices, or drained directly. He spotted a large man, with dark hair and a bloodstained beard lounging on a throne, eyeing him and Serana with interest.

"…Ugh…"

Alan stared wide-eyed as one of the corpses moved. The young man feebly raised an arm, but one of the vampires smiled cruelly, grabbing the limb and bringing it to her lips, biting down

Alan clenched his fists, but stayed his hand. He was in unfamiliar territory, an more importantly, in plain view. Starting a fight might not end in his favor.

Suddenly, the man on the throne spoke. "My long-lost daughter returned at last," he shouted, signaling the other members to quiet down. "I trust you have my Elder Scroll".

Alan swore his jaw dropped as he heard that sentence.

From the corner of his eyes, Alan saw Serana's lips twitch downward, "After all these years, that's the first thing you ask me?" she headed down the stairs, unwrapping the item in question, "Yes, I have the scroll".

Harkon chuckled, "My dear daughter, do I have to verbally express my joy at seeing you after all these years?" He got up from his throne, tilting his head up in thought as he walked around the table. "Oh, if only your mother were here," he said in a wistful tone.

" _Well, at least he likes his wife,"_ Alan thought.

"I would let her see you one last time, before driving a spike through her head!" he finished with a snarl, as he stopped just a few feet in frony of his daughter.

"… _Never mind"_.

"Now tell me," Harkon turned a cold gaze towards Alan, "Who is this stranger you have brought into our hall?"

Serana crossed her arms, "This is the man who freed me".

Harkon hummed lowly at that. "…Come forward," he stated.

Alan twitched at the command, staying put.

Muttering soon arose from throughout the hall, and Harkon's eyes tightened. The vampire clenched his jaw, "Do come forward," he said with an edge, "So that I might properly show my gratitude".

Alan smirked, finally walking down the stairs.

His eye roamed the halls, fury welling up to a previously unknown high (well, no, that was a lie, no one pissed him off as much as Hermaeus Mora, and Ulfric would always hold a very special place in his heart, but still, a very close third).

He then met the gaze of a particularly large vampire (a Nord, most likely) who proceeded to sneer at Alan.

 **Line Break**

Serana felt her breath hitch as Alan ignored her father in favor of looking at the room. Didn't he realize the situation he was in?!

"Do come forward," Serana shivered as a familiar growl rumbled through her father's throat, "So that I might properly show my gratitude".

Thankfully, Alan moved down the stairs, but he also took his sweet time. Serana blanched when she saw that he was making a point to stare at the first vampire he passed, a large Nord who's eyes glowed with grim amusement.

Her father evidently found it amusing as well, given his short chuckle.

As did the other vampires in the room, who took to smirking and silently deriding the 'foolish mortal'.

The vampire Alan was staring at, who must have been new, since Serana didn't recognize him—though that wasn't saying much, almost every face here was new to her—sneered at the Breton, but Alan still stared, impassive.

The room's good mood died down, though, when it became evident that the mortal was not going to back down.

The vampire bared his fangs, but Alan still stared.

He hissed lowly, but Alan still stared.

Seething, the vampire stood up, face set in a full snarl.

Suddenly, Harkon said, "That's quite enough, Orthjolf".

Serana saw the corners of Alan's mask lift as he turned away from the fuming Nord.

He stopped just a few feet in front of her father.

Harkon smirked, "You've my thanks, for my daughter's safe return. Tell me, what is your name?"

Serana saw the corners of Alan's mask lift once more, "A bit rude for the host to ask without giving".

Serana gulped, but mercifully, her father chuckled, "Very well, I am Harkon, Lord of this court".

Alan nodded. "All right," he brought his hands up to his head, pulling down his hood and mask. Serana frowned as she finally saw her savior's face. It was pale (which, in all honesty, was expected) providing a sharp contrast with his green eyes. His hair, a deep brown, was done into a short ponytail. She also took note of a long, thin scar running from his eye to halfway down his face. A handsome face, to be sure.

Serana banished that errant thought.

"I'm Alan," the Breton said coolly.

Harkon nodded. He then put his hands behind his back, "By now, my daughter will have told you what we are?"

Alan crossed his arms over his chest, "Vampires, the stench give it away".

A few vampires snarled at that.

Harkon drew his lips into a thin line. "Not…just vampires. We are among the oldest and most powerful vampires in Skyrim".

"For centuries we lived here, far from the cares of the worl—"

"Serana, are you okay?"

Harkon blinked, "Wha—"

"Is your name Serana?" Alan asked sardonically. When Harkon opened his mouth, Alan shook his head, "No, it's not. So, shut it".

Gasps reverberated throughout the hall.

Alan turned his attention to Serana, balked at his intense gaze, "Are you okay?" he slowly repeated.

Serana gulped. "…Yes".

Alan nodded, "Very well," he bowed slightly, "Have a nice day".

Alan had made it to the stairs before Harkon broke out of his stupor. "We have not finished speaking yet," he snarled, "Come back at once!"

Alan stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Yeah…I don't think I'm very welcome here".

Harkon's face morphed into an unpleasant smile, "Ah, but that can change".

Serana drew in a sharp breath, staring at her father in disbelief.

At the staircase, Alan grunted, "Oh," he walked back over, "How do you mean?"

Harkon's eye gleamed, "I can think of only one gift equal in value to the Elder Scroll and my daughter".

Serana did her best not to let the order of that statement get to her.

"My blood. Take it, and you will walk as a lion among sheep. Men will tremble at your approach, and you will never fear death again".

Alan hummed lowly, "I'm not afraid of death".

Harkon sighed amusedly, "Ah, the bravado of mortals".

Alan rolled his neck, "…Regardless, I don't feel like contracting a disease".

Serana bit her bottom lip, both at the insult (she was a vampire, after all) and the vein that popped up on her father's neck. She could hear the blood pulsing through his veins as he glared at Alan, who smirked back.

Then, her father found his cool once more. "The vermin that roam the land are diseased, no doubt. They lack the true power that a vampire can command". He spread his arms wide, "Allow me to show you".

Serana quickly stepped away from her father, silently urging Alan to do the same. He didn't.

Serana grimaced as a squelching sound echoed throughout the hall. When blackened blood covered his body from head to toe, she turned her head away, she always hated this aspect of their powers.

As the blood exploded from her father's form, she did her best to ignore biting chill that permeated the room, the light from the torches giving way to darkness. Serana silently gagged as she saw her father's now gray skin pull across unnatural muscles.

"This is the power I offer!" Harkon bellowed. He beat his leathery wings, hovering in the air. "Now, make your choice!"

Alan shook his head, "Second verse, same as the first. I refuse".

Harkon glared down at Alan, "Very well," he charged up a purple orb in his right hand, "Then you are prey like all mortals. Though, out of gratitude, I shall only banish you from these halls. Just this once".

He shot the orb at Alan, too fast for the man to dodge. With a strangled cry, Alan fell to his knees, gasping heavily. Shakily, he lifted his head up to give Harkon a venom-filled glare, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

Harkon sneered at Alan's still form, "Get him out of my sight. Come Serana," he reverted back to his humanoid form, "Let me show you where you can safely store my scroll".

With a soft sigh, sparing one last glance at Alan, Serana followed her father to the back of the castle.

Rather, she would have, were it not for the slap that rang throughout the halls.

She and her father whirled around at the sound, eyes wide at the sight of Alan slowly pull himself to his feet, shoving aside the two vampires that tried to grab him.

Standing at full height (which shouldn't have been all that intimidating from a Breton), he rolled his shoulders, glaring at Harkon, "Well, fuck you too". He then pulled his hood over his head, his mask up to his nose, and calmly strode towards the exit.

 **A/N:** **Now, we have reentered to actual path this story is going to take. Be sure to leave a review. Later.**


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